Annuals & Biennials

Euphorbia
euphorbia

- Height 11/2-3 ft (45-90 cm)
- Planting distance 1-11/2 ft (30-45 cm)
- Foliage plant
- Ordinary garden soil
- Sun or partial shade
- Hardy or half-hardy annual

Annual euphorbias are usually grown in borders for their elegant foliage. They do have flowers in summer, but these seem insignificant beside the scarlet or cream petallike bracts, which are modified leaves. The plants form neat bushes 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) high. They tolerate partial shade as well as sun, and grow in any ordinary garden soil. Indeed, the foliage colors become more intense when the plants are grown in poor soil.

Popular species and cultivars
Euphorbia heterophylla, commonly known as fire-on-the-mountain or annual poinsettia, is a neat, bushy half-hardy annual, with dark green oval or lance-shaped leaves. At the end of each shoot a 4 in (10 cm) wide whorl of red bracts appears from midsummer early fall with small crimson-orange flowers. Euphorbia lathyris, or caper spurge, is attractive with long, thin green leaves arranged symetrically on upright stems. In early summer to midsummer small yellow flowers appear in leafy heads. The plants reach 3 ft (90 cm) high. Euphorbia marginata (snow-on-the-mountain) has bright green oval leaves, which become edged and veined with white as the plant matures. Insignificant white flowers appear in early fall. 'Summer Icicle,' heavily variegated, is 11/2 ft (45 cm) tall.

Annuals
and
Biennials